Infant mortality improves in Tennessee More newborn babies are living in Tennessee, but the mortality rate still exceeds the national average. The Tennessee Department of Health says there were 38 fewer infant deaths before the age of one in the state compared to 2017. Officials say the Tennessee rate fell to 6.9 deaths per 1,000 live births compared to the national rate of 5.8 deaths. And in Tennessee, the rate of death of black infants continues to be nearly double that of white infants.